Reduce Fire Accidents Caused by Candles

12/9/2016 (Permalink)

With the holidays and winter months approaching, many will enjoy enhancing their rooms with beautiful scented candles hoping to bring a calm and cozy feeling to their home. Candles are a very popular accessory to home décor, but can also cause serious damage to homes if not used with caution. As a matter of fact, according to the National Candle Association (NCA), accidental candle fires account for approximately four percent of all U.S. residential fires.

The NCA provides a list of Candle Safety Rules with the hopes of reducing residential fire incidents caused by candle mishaps. Several of these tips include:

• Always keep a burning candle within sight.
• Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire.
• Keep burning candles out of the reach of children and pets.
• Trim candlewicks to ¼ inch each time before burning.
• Keep burning candles away from drafts, vents and ceiling fans.
• Never touch or move a burning candle when the wax is liquid.
• Never extinguish a candle with water.
• Never use a candle as a night light.

Burning candles can have a calming effect, bringing a sense of peace and relaxation after a long day. The National Candle Association provides many more safety tips and suggestions and can be found on their website at candles.org. Help protect your home and safety by following these suggestions when enjoying your candles!